If you want to run a category that's not currently listed, give me a message on twitter or somewhere so I can add it.

Hey, random question:

How come Easy and Hard are available as non NG+ categories? You have to essentially unlock them in order for them to become available, don't you?

Also the sub-1 run listed in Easy NG+ is done with Ultimate mode on. Easy mode you start with a couple of medicines and a talisman, but with Ultimate mode on, you start with Rekka Ken, Lv3 Everything, and you have infinite everything as well (including magic power, but not health) so I feel like Ultimate Mode should be a separate category to non-Ultimate mode.

For example, here's my 1:36 run of Easy without Ultimate mode on.

As you can see the run is incredibly different to the one listed because it doesn't use Ultimate Mode.

I wasn't aware of that, but yes I agree we should make those a separate category. They are both NG+, so I'll just list them accordingly.

Easy and Hard are unlocked after certain conditions, true, but I feel they shouldn't be left out. When you choose a difficulty you are also starting a empty save. Of course if enough people don't agree I can then remove it later.

Only reason it's considered NG+ is because to unlock them you have to progress somewhat through the game, allowing you to skip any cutscenes you have previously seen, with Easy being unlocked after dying 3 times, and Hard being unlocked after beating Normal.

Are you only able to skip the cutscenes after having watched them once before in another playthrough?
If so, then I can understand the complications with that.

Yeah you can only skip cutscenes that you've seen before, which is recorded in the system data so it goes across playthroughs 😱

Also that's something else, in the rules it says that you can use any previous upgrades outside of Ultimate mode, but you can't pass upgrades from save to save, you start fresh or on Ultimate. 🙂

Oh, I guess it's different from DoD then?
What are the benefits from NG to NG+ without ultimate mode then?

Also site is being weird with submitted runs atm. Can't edit some while others just disappear for some reason.

Huh, that's weird! 😱

Essentially just skipping cutscenes. It takes like 3 hours out of the run (if my estimate is correct) that's pretty much it.

And of course it allows for Easy to be unlocked which starts you off with a bunch of medicines and is generally more of a lenient run.

Aight that makes sense.

Yeah site seems to have issue atm http://www.speedrun.com/The_Site/thread/sjpih/1#6vjgq
Your run is still there, but name has disappeared. I'll write it back once they fix it.

Adjusted categories accordingly:

NG will remain as a normal mode only run, in order to prevent cutscene skipping.
NG+ and NG+ Ultimate will have Easy, Normal, Hard and Critical subcategories.

Some category needs to be fixed hinge confirmed that "You can not select Ultimate mode and Critical mode at the same time"

Removed Critical Mode from the Ultimate Mode category.

Looking at the board so far it seems to be doing well. Although, I'd suggest removing Any% since nobody is going to actually run the game with the un-skippable cut-scene once people will realise about this.

It would be ideal to re-name category of "Any% NG+" into "New Game" as normal difficulty will be the main category.

I'd also suggest removing All Story Routes for now. until at least 3-4 people decides to actually run that particular category. Having the tab there sitting empty isn't really worth it,

Categories are updated.

Further details:

https://www.speedrun.com/oni2/thread/shwr6